Students strive to understandStudents research the historical background of Romeo and Juliet as well as
Shakespeare’s time to better understand the play. After reading the play, students
apply the themes and issues within the play to modern life, and they work on
solutions to age-old problems, such as communicating with parents, combating hate
crimes/violence, and preventing suicide. Students work in teams to make plans and
products targeting their chosen issues to positively impact their communities. Eachteam researches the current needs and resources of the community, and determinesa course of action.
Subject Area
English I
Grade Level
9
Higher-Order Thinking Skills
Skills: Problem Solving,Evaluating, Analyzing
Approximate Time Needed
Time Needed: 4 weeks for
the unit, plus 2–4 weeks for
the culminating project,
depending on the amount of
time provided in class, depth/
complexity of the student
projects, and availability of theaudience to whom studentswill present
Targeted Content Standards and Benchmarks
North Carolina Secondary English Standards and Benchmarks
WL.1.03.2 Identify, evaluate, and analyze the impact of text components.
IR.2.01.9 Analyze the effects of author’s craft and style in informing audience
IR.2.03.4Use layout and design elements to enhance presentation of procedure.
LT.5.01.1 Use reading strategies for preparation engagement, reflection.
LT.5.01.5 Explain and interpret archetypal characters, themes, settings.
GU.6.01.6 Use vocabulary strategies to discern word meanings.
Student Objectives/Learning Outcomes
·Define and properly use the Elizabethan English used in Shakespeare’s works ·lDemonstrate understanding and usage of the meaning and form of meter, blank verse, and other similar poetic ·patterns/devices ·lRecognize and understand the use and purpose of various literary devices ·lIdentify the characters and plot of Romeo and Juliet , and analyze the actions, themes, and social issues of the play ·in order to identify those that are relevant to today ·lConduct research on issues of concern to the community and gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety ·of sources to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience ·lUse a variety of electronic and print resources to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate
Curriculum-Framing Questions
Essential Question
How does literature help us better understand ourselves?
·What are some important details to know about Shakespeare’s time period in ·order to understand his plays? ·Who are the characters in Romeo and Juliet , and how do they contribute to the ·deaths in the play? ·What is imagery, and what are some examples of how Shakespeare usesimagery in Romeo and Juliet to present a compelling and powerful message? ·What are the themes and issues in Romeo and Juliet that are relevant to today?
Assessment Summary
Summative Assessent: Blog to your teacher and one student about how literature helps one to better understand ourselves; Drama terms; Drama Analysis; Drama Project (Brochure); Drama Poster; Formative and Summative test.
Assessment Processes View how a variety of student-centeredassessmentsare used in the Romeo and
Juliet Unit Plan. These assessments help students and teachers set goals; monitorstudent progress; provide feedback; assess thinking, processes, performances, andproducts; and reflect on learning throughout the learning cycle.
Differentiated Instruction Special Needs Student* Provide templates for some of the associated products, such as a brochure template
Provide fill-in-the-blank plot worksheets to help the student simplify and identify the characters and action
Allow the student to choose the method and tools for the culminating project that draw upon on the student’s strengths
Gifted/Talented Student* Emphasize that the culminating project provides a wide range and choice of community projects and outreach that would specifically draw upon the strengths of the gifted student
Encourage the student to look beyond the obvious and come up with creative solutions for difficult problems
Nonnative Speaker* Provide a parallel text of Romeo and Juliet in the student’s first language whenever possible or use a modern English version of the text
Allow the culminating project to include some content in the student’s first language if it meets the needs of the audience the student is trying to reach
Use some of the scaffolds created for the resource student, such as the fill-in-the-blank plot worksheets, if appropriate
Prerequisite Skills Compile resources (textbooks, encyclopedias, The play-Romeo and Juliet) ·Basic research ·Internet (Computer skills)
Unit Details:Beginning of the Year Introduce a discussion about why people like a good story. How does writing about characters help them “come alive” off
the page? What kind of characters can students identify with? What do stories do for us anyway? Are stories just a
means of escaping into fantasy? Next, introduce and discuss the Essential Question that will be used all year, How does
literature help us better understand ourselves? Talk about how the units that will be studied this year will help the classanswer the Essential Question.
Week 1
Day 1 Before “officially” starting the unit, have student teams rank a list of social offenses. Students are to consider thefollowing social offenses without knowing that they have anything to do with Romeo and Juliet . They are to rank each inthe order of seriousness, with 1 being the most serious (if desired, use the Visual Ranking Tool ):
lIntentionally deceiving someone lLying to parents lKilling someone for revenge lAdvising someone to marry for money lHating someone because of the person’s association (gang, ethnicity, family, and so forth) lSelling drugs lKilling someone by mistake while fighting lCommitting suicide lCrashing a party lMarrying against parents' wishes lPicking a fight lCalling someone namesAfter student teams rank and try to come to consensus on the list’s order, discuss which issues are ones that they think are serious problems today. After discussion, reveal that all of these social offenses happen in Romeo and Juliet. Present the Unit Question, How does Shakespeare still speak to a 21st century audience? Besides including plot elements tha parallel many current-day situations, ask students whether they think Shakespeare still has any impact on what we hear, see, and think today. Read thePassage by Bernard Levin* about the influence of Shakespeare on our everyday speech. For homework, ask students to bring in examples of where they see Shakespeare’s influence in their world today (such as movies, TV, magazines, or other story lines).
Day 2 Show thegauging student needs presentationto determine what students already know about Shakespeare and Romeo and Juliet and to help students access their prior knowledge. Continue the discussion about where students seeShakespeare’s influence in today’s world. Explain how, in this unit, they will work to answer the Unit and EssentialQuestions, along with learning to appreciate—or at least understand—Shakespeare’s most famous play, Romeo and
Juliet .Briefly explain that the students will be completing a project where they will apply the themes and issues within the playto address a current-day problem along with real solutions.Present background information about Shakespeare, his time, and Elizabethan theater so students can better understand Shakespeare’s work. Some notable online resources areShakespeare Resource Center* andShakespeare's Theatre*.
Introduce the reading response journal to students. These journals give students a place to document reading, record
thoughts and responses to important questions, and cite examples of literary terms. Some students may want to keeptheir response journals in the form of a blog. Students may also choose the option of keeping a blog from the point ofview of one of the characters. SeeJuliet’s Blog* for an example. Review theblog rubricwith students to help guide their work.
Days 3 and 4 Create and distribute a document to help understand Shakespearean language and explain how students will be
discussing the play and its application to life with each other.
Assign parts for reading the play aloud to help students get the rhythm of the language and understand some of thepuns and archaic language. Read through Act I, scene i. Students must have Act I, scene i completed by Day 5.Discuss the following literary terms for Week 1: lPrologue—An opening speech that introduces a play and gives the audience the play's basic plot. lPun—The humorous (usually) use of a word or phrase to suggest two or more meanings at the same time.Have students find and record examples of the puns discussed in Week 1 in their reading response journals.
Day 5 Read and discuss Act I, scenes ii and iii.
Week 2 Post and discuss the following literary terms for Week 2, and point out the terms as they come up in the reading: lForeshadowing—The use of clues to suggest what might happen later in the plot. lImagery—A picture drawn with words that creates a picture in the mind of a reader or audience member. lSoliloquy—A speech delivered by a character alone on stage to allow people to know what the character is thinking
or feeling.
Have students record examples and understandings of the literary terms discussed in Week 2 in their reading response journals. Collect journals on a daily basis to assess students’ understanding of terms. Use this information to guide and redirect teaching as needed.
Assign some reading for homework but continue to read important or difficult scenes in class so discussions can take
place. Ask students to record thoughts and questions in their journals.
Discuss imagery in Mercutio’s speech about Queen Mab.Identify and discuss the metaphors concerning Juliet in Romeo’s soliloquy. Ask questions like the following to helpstudents understand the importance of imagery in Shakespeare’s work:
l How do the metaphors help to paint a picture of both Juliet’s and Romeo’s state of mind? l How does that imagery affect how we judge Romeo's true intentions or inclinations? l How does the use of imagery add to the mood of the scene? l How does the imagery affect the way we respond to the scene? l Considering how Romeo talks about Juliet, what does that suggest about Romeo's character and primary focus?
Discuss impressions of main characters. Besides their “flowery” language, do the main characters’ actions ring true on
some level? Complete reading through Act II, scene iii. Give an Act I quiz if desired.
Week 3 Post and discuss the following literary terms for Week 3, and point out the terms as they come up in the reading: lClimax—The high point to which the plot consistently builds. lDramatic Irony—The words or acts of a character in a play that may carry a meaning unperceived by the characterbut understood by the audience. Usually the character's own interests are involved in a way the character cannotunderstand. lReversal—The turning point where the forces of the conflict come together and the situation either begins to
improve (comedy) or gets worse (tragedy).
Have students record examples and understandings of the literary terms discussed in Week 3 in their reading response journals. Collect journals on a daily basis to assess students’ understanding of terms. Use this information to guide and redirect teaching as needed.
Continue reading parts aloud in class and assigning some for homework.
Discuss meter, iambic pentameter, and other poetic devices used in various parts of the play. Introduce iambic pentameter with the reading of Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham . Clap out the beat of the lines to better hear the iambic pentameter. Explain how Shakespeare uses the rhythms that are already in language to create the patterns in a line of poetry. Clap out the example, "But soft, what light in yonder window breaks?" Discuss and illustrate how Shakespeare mostly wrote in blank verse, which is a metrical pattern composed of lines of unrhymed iambicpentameter.
Act out the fight scene in Act III, scene i. Discuss the escalating violence between the families and the similarities to current-day situations.
Discuss the explosive scene between Juliet and her father, framing it with the lens of what was expected of children,especially girls, during that time period. Discuss what has and has not changed in parent-teenage relationships.Complete through Act III, scene v. Give an Act II quiz if desired.
Week 4 Continue reading parts aloud in class and assigning some for homework.
Discuss the impact of Juliet’s “first” death and the Friar’s involvement.Ask students what fate is. Pose the question, Do you believe in fate? Discuss the idea of fate, as understood in the time of Shakespeare. Ask where fate intervenes in the play. Discuss a quote from another play that shows a different look at fate that admits that what happens to us may have more to do with our own shortfalls than fate:
Have students record their thoughts on this question in their reading response journals. In small groups, have students discuss their opinions on fate and give examples of fate in their own lives or in other literary examples or movie
How would Romeo and Juliet have been different if it were written as a comedy?Created by Amy McFatridge for 9th Grade English Students
Romeo and Juliet Lesson Plan: Family Shields
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Romeo and Juliet Lesson Plan: Family Shields
====
ELA Common Core Standards Covered
L.9-10.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. L.9-10.2c Spell correctly. Knowledge of Language==Romeo and Juliet Lesson Plan Procedures==
Assign each student to create a family shield: put a picture of themselves in the upper left corner; a quote that represents them in the upper right corner; five things they enjoy in the bottom left corner; and a 'c' or an 'm' in the bottom right hand corner for Capulet or Montague.
Each family chooses colors. The upper right and lower left corner are one color; the upper left and lower right are another color.
Encourage students in opposing families to engage in sword fights if they meet in the school cafeteria, courtyard, or gymnasium; don't actually put this in your Romeo and Juliet lesson plans book (see two bullets down for details).
Tell them you're kidding (optional).
Deny encouraging sword fights if questioned by administration or law enforcement officials just in case a bloody massacre ensues.
Hang Capulet family shields on one bulletin board.
Hang Montague family shields on another bulletin board.
Hang igloos, pictures of deserts, barren landscapes, pictures of Reno, NV., or other undesirable locales on the ugliest wall in your room. This is the banished area.
Students turning in the assignment late are banished immediately.
Once a family accumulates -5 points, a family member is banished. Negative points accumulate as a result of missed assignments, poor grades, bad behavior, or any other arbitrary thing that bugs you.
Once a family accumulates +5 points, a banished member is brought back. Positive points accumulate as a result of high test scores, general helpfulness, or good behavior.
Families can either vote on who to banish or family members can volunteer to be banished or you can choose who is banished. As far as the contest is concerned, banished members still contribute positive and negative points to the team and suffer no individual negative grade consequences.
At the end of the play, the team with the least amount of family members banished gets a reward. In my class, the winning team does not have to take the unit test. Other options include extra credit, pizza, or homework excuse passes.
==ELA Common Core Standards Covered== Teaching Strategies for Analyzing Shakespeare covers the following ELA Common Core Standards.
RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
RL.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
Soliloquies, Monologues, and Asides
Shakespearean drama consists of devices that the audience expects even though they are not used in real life. Students, however, don't know this unless you tell them. Furthermore, they won't recognize them when they occur. You must introduce, therefore, dramatic devices as part of your strategies for analyzing Shakespeare.
1. A soliloquy is a long speech given by a character that is alone on stage in order to reveal his or her thoughts. Soliloquies contain some of Shakespeare's most famous lines and are excellent candidates for analysis. Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy is the most famous example. Ask students these questions when reading soliloquies:
Why does Shakespeare use soliloquies to reveal characters' thoughts?
Why is it important that the character is alone on stage during the soliloquy?
2. A monologue is a long speech given by a character to another character. It is similar to a soliloquy, insomuch that it reveals a character's thoughts. Some of Shakespeare's more famous monologues occur as Romeo woos Juliet. Ask students these questions when reading monologues:
How would this monologue be different if it were a soliloquy?
What effect, if any, does this monologue have on other characters?
3. An aside is a comment made by a character to the audience or another character that no one else can hear. Trebonius' aside in Julius Caesar reveals to the audience that he plans on killing the Roman ruler.
Rhetorical Devices
Shakespearean drama consists of speeches containing rhetorical devices that use sound and language to appeal to the audience's emotions. Shakespeare's rhetorical devices make the speeches more memorable and convincing. Students, however, don't know this unless you tell them. Furthermore, they won't understand them. You must introduce, therefore, rhetorical devices as part of your strategies for analyzing Shakespeare.
1. The repetition of words and sounds highlight important themes. Marc Antony's ironic repetition of "And Brutus is an honorable man" inflamed the crowd at Caesar's funeral and caused them to riot.
When reading examples of repetition, ask what Shakespeare's purpose is in repeating the same phrase or sound.
2. Shakespeare's use of parallelism, repeated grammatical structure, emphasizes important ideas.
As you come across parallel structure, rewrite the line with a subordinating clause.
3. Shakespeare uses rhetorical questions, questions not intended to be answered, to create dramatic tension. Who can forget "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?"
Dramatic Irony
Irony is a contrast between appearance and reality.
Shakespearean drama includes dramatic irony, when the audience knows something that at least one character does not. Dramatic irony increases suspense, gives the audience the big picture, and helps make the audience feel superior. Students, however, don't know this. Furthermore, they won't understand it. You must introduce, therefore, dramatic irony as part of your strategies for analyzing Shakespeare. Here are some of the more famous examples:
In Romeo and Juliet, we know that Juliet has taken a potion to simulate death. Everyone else thinks she is dead.
In Julius Caesar, we know that Brutus wants to kill Caesar. Caesar thinks Brutus is his best friend.
Assignment Options
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Assignment Options
Write an official report of the events leading up to Romeo and Juliet's death. The purpose is to help Prince Escalus and other dignitaries of Verona make sense of the double suicide.
Put Friar Lawrence and other characters on trial.
Write a cause and effectassessing blame to the proper individuals.
Conduct a group activity ranking the characters in order of guilt.
==Writing Procedures==
Prewriting - Summarize the plot. This can be done as a class, in small groups, or individually. Make sure students list the chain of events leading to the deaths.
Prewriting - Identify cause and effect. Once the events are listed, determine which events caused which events.
Drafting - Make sure you target your audience--in this case Prince Escalus, a man who could banish you, imprison you, or have you killed on a whim. Your tone should be respectful.
Drafting - Focus on the facts. Leave out emotion. This is an official report. Only note what you observed or read.
Revising - Transition words that signal cause and effect (consequently, therefore, hence) should be present.
Revising - Have a partner read your report. Make sure you've included all major events. Be sure the report is clear and would make sense to someone not familiar with the facts (perhaps you could find someone under a rock not familiar with the play to help you revise). Make sure you reveal what you believe to be the underlying cause of the outcome. Check your tone; you're talking to a prince.
Teaching characterization with a Fun Shakespeare Lesson Plan
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Teaching Characterization with a Fun Shakespeare Lesson Plan
Teaching characterization has never been more fun! ==Nap Time==
It was time to come up with some fun Shakespeare lesson plans for teaching characterization.==ELA Common Core Standards Covered== This fun Shakespeare lesson plan for teaching characterization can be applied to multiple pieces of literature. The lesson satisfies the following Common Core Standards. RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RL.9-10.3 Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme. ==Assignment Procedures==
.
Whatever you do, don't tell students they're doing a character analysis of Romeo and Juliet. Tell them they get to blame Romeo and Juliet characters. Teenagers love to blame.
Instruct students to copy the following Romeo and Juliet characters' names, leaving at least three lines in between: Romeo, Juliet, Benvolio, Tybalt, Mercutio, Lady Capulet, Lord Capulet, Friar Lawrence, Nurse, Montague, Prince Escalus, Paris, Fate, Friar John, Rosaline.
For each character, find at least two pieces of evidence to explain their guilt in Romeo and Juliet's death.
Instruct students to rank the characters' blame for Romeo and Juliet's death by assigning each character a number, with the number 1 being the most responsible.
Assign students into groups of four.
As a group, instruct students to compile a list of their top 5 most responsible for the young lovers' deaths, and their reasons for the assignation. Groups must come to a consensus. Students must be prepared to defend their answers.
Make a chart on the board to record each groups' answers. Include your answers on the chart. I've included an example on page 2.
Discuss the results. Pay special attention to anomalies and force groups to explain their choices.
My Character Analysis of Romeo and Juliet
I don't mind if you steal my ideas to get class discussion going.
Friar Lawrence: Friar Lawrence's plans were irresponsible and reckless. Ecclesiastical leaders, in addition, should be held to a higher standard.
Romeo: As a husband, Romeo really needed to step up and control his emotions. How'd you like this guy governing your family, or teaching your children, or handling your investments?
Lord Capulet: Capulet needs to stop slapping his daughter around and start listening to her.
Nurse: Come on, Nurse. When Juliet needed you most, you deserted her. I hope you enjoy the rest of your miserable life, you traitorous wench.
Friar John: Come on John, your boss sent you on an important assignment and you dilly-dallied at some sick guy's house. Champions find a way to get it done. You're no champion.
Tybalt: I have an idea, Tybalt. Shut your mouth! Romeo was sincere. He really did like you, but you thought he was a sissy. As it turns out, you're the bigger sissy because he carved you up.
Mercutio: Hey dummy, it wasn't Romeo's fault you got killed by Tybalt. It was your fault. You're the idiot who ran his mouth one too many times. You got exactly what was coming to you, so rot in hell.
Montague: Do you even remember why you hate the Capulets?
Paris: Dude, she doesn't like you! If you wouldn't have forced her to marry you, she would not have taken such drastic measures to escape. Hint: if a woman fakes her own suicide to avoid marrying you, she probably doesn't want to marry you.
Escalus: Did you bother to think of the ramifications of your ridiculous law? Instead of pronouncing threats, perhaps you should spend some time coming up with a solution. Have you ever heard of diplomacy?
Lady Capulet: How about a little sympathy for your daughter, you skank?
Juliet: Granted, she stabs herself, but let's look at this from her perspective: she's 13-years-old. Her husband's been banished; she's been forced to marry someone else; her best friend deserts her; her mother has turned against her; her father beats her; she wakes up in a tomb next to her dead husband; and in a panic, Friar Lawrence, the last of his many stupid choices, deserts her. Add the whole women have no rights in 13th century Verona angle, and Juliet has no reason to live.
Rosaline: It's not Rosaline's fault she's hot. She was sensible. Romeo was a loser and she knew it.
Fate: Poor choices, not fate, lead to their deaths.
Romeo and Juliet Writing Activities: Updating a Scene
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Romeo and Juliet Writing Activities: Updating a Scene
I love irony. I once stayed awake all night thinking about how ironic things were. I finally concluded that everything was ironic, which in itself was ironic because not everything is ironic. ==ELA Common Core Standards Covered== This writing activity satisfies the following Common Core Standards. Common Core Writing Standard 1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. W.9-10.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of L.9-10.1-3.) Common Core Writing Standard 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. RL.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone). L.9-10.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. L.9-10.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. L.9-10.5a Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text. L.9-10.5b Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
Irony Explained
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Irony Explained
First things first: get to know these basic definitions of irony.
1. Irony - The difference between what someone would reasonably expect to happen and what actually does.
2. Situational Irony - When one's efforts produces the opposite results of what was expected
Romeo and Juliet Example: Romeo's attempt to establish peace between Mercutio and Tybalt leads to Mercutio's death and an escalation of the family war.
3. Verbal Irony - A contrast between what is said and what is actually meant
Romeo and Juliet Example: After Romeo kills Tybalt and is banished, Juliet tells her mother how she wishes she could go to Romeo that evening. Her mom thinks Juliet wants to find Romeo and kill him. What she really means is she wants to go to him and enjoy intimate marital relations.
Literary Example: Prometheus says to Zeus, "You are as kind as you are wise." Zeus thinks it's a compliment. Because Prometheus doesn't think Zeus is wise, it's actually an insult.
4. Dramatic Irony - When the audience knows things the characters do not
Romeo and Juliet Example: We know Juliet has taken a sleeping potion. Everyone else, except Friar Lawrence, thinks she is dead.
Romeo and Juliet Example: We know Juliet has married Romeo. The Capulets and Paris do not.
Literature Example: In Horton Hears a Who, we know that Horton really is talking to little people on a bubble, but everyone else thinks he's crazy.
==Irony Lesson Plan Procedures== The following lesson plan can be used at any point in the play.
Warm up: Have students copy a chart. The chart should include four columns. Each column should contain the following titles:
Specific Example of Irony (Act, scene, lines)
Verbal Irony
Situational Irony
Dramatic Irony
Include as many rows as you think necessary. I recommend at least five.
Instruct students to copy the definitions of irony on the back of their chart. Discuss irony and provide examples. Persuade students to provide examples.
Instruct students to find five examples of irony from the play, a particular act, scene, or lines. Have them identify the type of irony and explain how it's ironic. The explanation should be written in the appropriate column in the chart.
After the chart is filled out, assign a literary analysisanalyzing irony.
==Sample Irony Chart== || Specific Example of Irony
1. All weep for Juliet's death. || Verbal Irony || Situational Irony
|| Dramatic IronyWe all know that Juliet has taken a potion to fake death. This build's suspense. ||
=Figurative Language Activities= Who says that memorizing literary definitions has to be boring? Children can use kinesthetic skills and sense of fun to understand and remember literary terms! Posted by Susan Hyde on Feb 14, 2007 Ads by GoogleSAT Test PrepHigher score guaranteed or your money back. Enroll today.Kaptest.com Metaphor WorksheetsSave Time Lesson Planning. Search Peer Reviewed Metaphor WorksheetsLessonPlanet.com/Metaphor
Sometimes teaching figurative language can be too much like losing the humor behind a good joke through over explaining. When a teacher explains too much, the magic can be lost. On the other hand, when students understand the tools that turn words into art, the literary world takes on a new and fantastic dimension. To help language arts and English students to remember literary vocabulary, have aFigurative Language Theatre day. The following lesson plans and activities will help students to remember and use various figures of speech. Activities: Simile and Metaphor: This is a great activity for kinesthetic learners who learn best when they are moving.
Place students into writing groups for the purpose of constructing a brief skit with the title Simile and Metaphor Go to the ___.
Tell students that the first character, Simile, can only talk in similes (comparisons between two unlike things using “like” or “as”) and Metaphor can only talk in metaphors (direct comparisons between two unlike things).
At the end of class have the student pairs perform their skits while the other students try to guess what their characters are describing.
Onomatopoeia: Onomatopoeia is a rather complicated term for a sound word that nearly any toddler can master (What does the dog say? “Woof! Woof”), so how do you get students to remember the meaning and, worse yet, the spelling of a word with eight vowels? Ask any advertising executive. Sometimes an obnoxious or silly song is just the thing to get a product (or in this case a literary definition) into a consumer’s head.
Have your students sing the Onomatopoeia Song to the tune of “Old MacDonald”: “O-n-o-m-a-t-o-p-o-e-i-a… with a ‘ruff-ruff’ here and a ‘baa baa’ there… here a ‘vroom,’ there a ‘buzz,’ everywhere a ‘splat! Splat!’ O-n-o-m-a-t-o-p-o-e-i-a!”
For further fun with kinesthetic-tactile learning, hand out small posters that have indivicual letters from the word “onomatopoeia” on the front.
Ask students to hold up their letter each time the class sings it.
For fun, start out singing the song very slowly, and work up to a faster and faster pace.
Oxymoron: This learning activity that appeals to students with a variety of learning styles.
Place students into small groups.
Explain to students that an oxymoron is a figure of speech in which contradictory or opposing terms are used together (ex: “artificial intelligence” or “virtual reality”) to describe something.
Allow students a few minutes online to find some oxymoron examples (a quick web search should render students with a multitude of websites with oxymoron lists). Visual-spatial students will especially enjoy the graphic-rich online experience.
Ask each group to choose several of the most vivid or humorous oxymorons they can find to share with the class.As class, discuss what makes each student example an oxymoron.
Then have students work in their groups to make up a few original oxymorons. Students should craft a definition for each oxymoron they come up with.
Enjoy sharing with the class.
Hyperbole: Exaggeration that makes a statement can be a lot of fun, even when the activity isteacher led. Teach your students about hyperbole by using a Johnny Carson style monologue: Example: Teacher: My brother is poor. Students: How poor was he? Teacher: He was so poor that he went to Wendy’s and put a Frosty on layaway. Teacher: That dog was so small. Student: How small was he? Teacher: He was so small that his fleas had to use dog repellent to keep him off of their backs. Humor is a great hook for vocabulary memorization, too. Students may even enjoy sharing the humor in a classroom newspaper!
|| Annotate the Prologue, Memorize, and Perform
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Annotate a scene. In your Reader's Notebook is the balcony scene. In groups, annotate it (highlight the stage directions, make comments, ask questions). Identify poetic devices (metaphor, iambic pentameter, simile)
You will memorize the balcony scene and perform
|| Romeo and Juliet Cause and Effect Lesson Plan
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==Romeo and Juliet Cause and Effect Lesson Plan==
==A Tragedy in the Classroom== Provide an example:....==ELA Common Core Standards Covered== Teaching cause and effect with this lesson plan covers the following ELA Common Core Standards.
RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
RL.9-10.6 Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.
Common Core Writing Standard 1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
Common Core Writing Standard 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in W.9-10.1-3.)
W.9-10.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of L.9-10.1-3.)
W.9-10.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.9-10.9a Apply grades 9-10 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare]").
|| Romeo and Juliet Writing Activities: Updating a Scene
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==Romeo and Juliet Writing Activities: Updating a Scene==
====
ELA Common Core Standards Covered
This writing activity satisfies the following Common Core Standards. W.9-10.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in W.9-10.1-3.) W.9-10.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of L.9-10.1-3.) RL.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone). L.9-10.1b Use various types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial, prepositional, absolute) and clauses (independent, dependent; noun, relative, adverbial) to convey specific meanings and add variety and interest to writing or presentations. L.9-10.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. L.9-10.2b Use a colon to introduce a list or quotation. L.9-10.2c Spell correctly. Knowledge of Language L.9-10.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. L.9-10.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9-10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word's position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. L.9-10.4b Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., analyze, analysis, analytical; advocate, advocacy). L.9-10.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. L.9-10.5a Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text. L.9-10.5b Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations. L.9-10.6 Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.==Writing Assignment ==
Rewrite a scene from Romeo and Juliet. Update it to modern times. Change the location.
Prewriting - Look back over the play and select a scene full of action and emotion.
Prewriting - Think about potential settings for the updated scenes. When brainstorming, write down any possibility, no matter how ridiculous. Some good possibilities are the duel between Mercutio and Tybalt, the meeting of Romeo and Juliet, the balcony scene, the suicide scene.
Drafting - Change the language. This includes grammar, speech, vocabulary, and even names.
Drafting - Don't forget stage directions (it is a play, after all). Adding stage directions allows the writer to more clearly convey the scene.
Revising - Analyze character motivation. Make sure your characters' motivations are consistent with their actions. Pay special attention to dialogue.
Revising - Make sure the language reflects a modern setting.
Revising - Look at stage directions as a means to dramatize the action.
Revising - Make sure the characters are still recognizable as Shakespeare intended them.
Romeo and Juliet Lesson Plans
Students will respond positively to Romeo and Juliet if they are engaged.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet:
Study Guide
Manteo High School
Romeo and Juliet
as well as
Shakespeare’s time to better understand the play. After reading the play, students
apply the themes and issues within the play to modern life, and they work on
solutions to age-old problems, such as communicating with parents, combating hate
crimes/violence, and preventing suicide. Students work in teams to make plans and
products targeting their chosen issues to positively impact their communities. Eachteam researches the current needs and resources of the community, and determinesa course of action.
Problem Solving,Evaluating, Analyzing
4 weeks for
the unit, plus 2–4 weeks for
the culminating project,
depending on the amount of
time provided in class, depth/
complexity of the student
projects, and availability of theaudience to whom studentswill present
Secondary English Standards and Benchmarks
WL.1.03.2 Identify, evaluate, and analyze the impact of text components.
IR.2.01.9 Analyze the effects of author’s craft and style in informing audience
IR.2.03.4Use layout and design elements to enhance presentation of procedure.
LT.5.01.1 Use reading strategies for preparation engagement, reflection.
LT.5.01.5 Explain and interpret archetypal characters, themes, settings.
GU.6.01.6 Use vocabulary strategies to discern word meanings.
·lDemonstrate understanding and usage of the meaning and form of meter, blank verse, and other similar poetic
·patterns/devices
·lRecognize and understand the use and purpose of various literary devices
·lIdentify the characters and plot of
Romeo and Juliet
, and analyze the actions, themes, and social issues of the play
·in order to identify those that are relevant to today
·lConduct research on issues of concern to the community and gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety
·of sources to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience
·lUse a variety of electronic and print resources to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate
·order to understand his plays?
·Who are the characters in
Romeo and Juliet
, and how do they contribute to the
·deaths in the play?
·What is imagery, and what are some examples of how Shakespeare usesimagery in
Romeo and Juliet
to present a compelling and powerful message?
·What are the themes and issues in
Romeo and Juliet
that are relevant to today?
Summative Assessent: Blog to your teacher and one student about how literature helps one to better understand ourselves; Drama terms; Drama Analysis; Drama Project (Brochure); Drama Poster; Formative and Summative test.
View how a variety of student-centeredassessmentsare used in the Romeo and
Juliet Unit Plan. These assessments help students and teachers set goals; monitorstudent progress; provide feedback; assess thinking, processes, performances, andproducts; and reflect on learning throughout the learning cycle.
Special Needs Student* Provide templates for some of the associated products, such as a brochure template
- Provide fill-in-the-blank plot worksheets to help the student simplify and identify the characters and action
- Allow the student to choose the method and tools for the culminating project that draw upon on the student’s strengths
Gifted/Talented Student* Emphasize that the culminating project provides a wide range and choice of community projects and outreach that would specifically draw upon the strengths of the gifted student- Encourage the student to look beyond the obvious and come up with creative solutions for difficult problems
Nonnative Speaker* Provide a parallel text of Romeo and Juliet in the student’s first language whenever possible or use a modern English version of the textCompile resources (textbooks, encyclopedias, The play-Romeo and Juliet)
·Basic research
·Internet (Computer skills)
Unit Details:Beginning of the Year
Introduce a discussion about why people like a good story.
How does writing about characters help them “come alive” off
the page? What kind of characters can students identify with? What do stories do for us anyway? Are stories just a
means of escaping into fantasy?
Next, introduce and discuss the Essential Question that will be used all year,
How does
literature help us better understand ourselves?
Talk about how the units that will be studied this year will help the classanswer the Essential Question.
Week 1
Day 1
Before “officially” starting the unit, have student teams rank a list of social offenses. Students are to consider thefollowing social offenses without knowing that they have anything to do with
Romeo and Juliet
. They are to rank each inthe order of seriousness, with 1 being the most serious (if desired, use the
Visual Ranking Tool
):
lIntentionally deceiving someone
lLying to parents
lKilling someone for revenge
lAdvising someone to marry for money
lHating someone because of the person’s association (gang, ethnicity, family, and so forth)
lSelling drugs
lKilling someone by mistake while fighting
lCommitting suicide
lCrashing a party
lMarrying against parents' wishes
lPicking a fight
lCalling someone namesAfter student teams rank and try to come to consensus on the list’s order, discuss which issues are ones that they think are serious problems today. After discussion, reveal that all of these social offenses happen in Romeo and Juliet. Present the Unit Question,
How does Shakespeare still speak to a 21st century audience?
Besides including plot elements tha parallel many current-day situations, ask students whether they think Shakespeare still has any impact on what we hear, see, and think today. Read thePassage by Bernard Levin* about the influence of Shakespeare on our everyday speech. For homework, ask students to bring in examples of where they see Shakespeare’s influence in their world today (such as movies, TV, magazines, or other story lines).
Day 2
Show thegauging student needs presentationto determine what students already know about Shakespeare and
Romeo
and Juliet
and to help students access their prior knowledge. Continue the discussion about where students seeShakespeare’s influence in today’s world. Explain how, in this unit, they will work to answer the Unit and EssentialQuestions, along with learning to appreciate—or at least understand—Shakespeare’s most famous play,
Romeo and
Juliet
.Briefly explain that the students will be completing a project where they will apply the themes and issues within the playto address a current-day problem along with real solutions.Present background information about Shakespeare, his time, and Elizabethan theater so students can better understand Shakespeare’s work. Some notable online resources areShakespeare Resource Center* andShakespeare's Theatre*.
Introduce the reading response journal to students. These journals give students a place to document reading, record
thoughts and responses to important questions, and cite examples of literary terms. Some students may want to keeptheir response journals in the form of a blog. Students may also choose the option of keeping a blog from the point ofview of one of the characters. SeeJuliet’s Blog* for an example. Review theblog rubricwith students to help guide their work.
Days 3 and 4
Create and distribute a document to help understand Shakespearean language and explain how students will be
discussing the play and its application to life with each other.
Assign parts for reading the play aloud to help students get the rhythm of the language and understand some of thepuns and archaic language. Read through Act I, scene i. Students must have Act I, scene i completed by Day 5.Discuss the following literary terms for Week 1:
lPrologue—An opening speech that introduces a play and gives the audience the play's basic plot.
lPun—The humorous (usually) use of a word or phrase to suggest two or more meanings at the same time.Have students find and record examples of the puns discussed in Week 1 in their reading response journals.
Day 5
Read and discuss Act I, scenes ii and iii.
Week 2
Post and discuss the following literary terms for Week 2, and point out the terms as they come up in the reading:
lForeshadowing—The use of clues to suggest what might happen later in the plot.
lImagery—A picture drawn with words that creates a picture in the mind of a reader or audience member.
lSoliloquy—A speech delivered by a character alone on stage to allow people to know what the character is thinking
or feeling.
Have students record examples and understandings of the literary terms discussed in Week 2 in their reading response journals. Collect journals on a daily basis to assess students’ understanding of terms. Use this information to guide and redirect teaching as needed.
Assign some reading for homework but continue to read important or difficult scenes in class so discussions can take
place. Ask students to record thoughts and questions in their journals.
Discuss imagery in Mercutio’s speech about Queen Mab.Identify and discuss the metaphors concerning Juliet in Romeo’s soliloquy. Ask questions like the following to helpstudents understand the importance of imagery in Shakespeare’s work:
l
How do the metaphors help to paint a picture of both Juliet’s and Romeo’s state of mind?
l
How does that imagery affect how we judge Romeo's true intentions or inclinations?
l
How does the use of imagery add to the mood of the scene?
l
How does the imagery affect the way we respond to the scene?
l
Considering how Romeo talks about Juliet, what does that suggest about Romeo's character and primary focus?
Discuss impressions of main characters.
Besides their “flowery” language, do the main characters’ actions ring true on
some level?
Complete reading through Act II, scene iii. Give an Act I quiz if desired.
Week 3
Post and discuss the following literary terms for Week 3, and point out the terms as they come up in the reading:
lClimax—The high point to which the plot consistently builds.
lDramatic Irony—The words or acts of a character in a play that may carry a meaning unperceived by the characterbut understood by the audience. Usually the character's own interests are involved in a way the character cannotunderstand.
lReversal—The turning point where the forces of the conflict come together and the situation either begins to
improve (comedy) or gets worse (tragedy).
Have students record examples and understandings of the literary terms discussed in Week 3 in their reading response journals. Collect journals on a daily basis to assess students’ understanding of terms. Use this information to guide and redirect teaching as needed.
Continue reading parts aloud in class and assigning some for homework.
Discuss meter, iambic pentameter, and other poetic devices used in various parts of the play. Introduce iambic
pentameter with the reading of Dr. Seuss’s
Green Eggs and Ham
. Clap out the beat of the lines to better hear the iambic pentameter. Explain how Shakespeare uses the rhythms that are already in language to create the patterns in a line of poetry. Clap out the example, "But soft, what light in yonder window breaks?" Discuss and illustrate how Shakespeare mostly wrote in blank verse, which is a metrical pattern composed of lines of unrhymed iambic pentameter.
Act out the fight scene in Act III, scene i. Discuss the escalating violence between the families and the similarities to
current-day situations.
Discuss the explosive scene between Juliet and her father, framing it with the lens of what was expected of children,especially girls, during that time period. Discuss what has and has not changed in parent-teenage relationships.Complete through Act III, scene v. Give an Act II quiz if desired.
Week 4
Continue reading parts aloud in class and assigning some for homework.
Discuss the impact of Juliet’s “first” death and the Friar’s involvement.Ask students what
fate
is. Pose the question,
Do you believe in fate?
Discuss the idea of fate, as understood in the time of Shakespeare. Ask where fate intervenes in the play. Discuss a quote from another play that shows a different look at fate that admits that what happens to us may have more to do with our own shortfalls than fate:
Have students record their thoughts on this question in their reading response journals. In small groups, have students discuss their opinions on fate and give examples of fate in their own lives or in other literary examples or movie
·Finish the play.
POWERPOINTS:
www.worldofteaching.com/**powerpoint**s/english/**romeo**%5B1%5D.**ppt**
www.argo217.k12.il.us/departs/english/blettiere/**romeojuliet**.htm
http://www97.intel.com/en/ProjectDesign/UnitPlanIndex/RomeoAndJuliet
http://prezi.com/z57no9nreqpm/copy-of-romeo-and-juliet-two-houses/
Romeo and Juliet Study Guide.doc
http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/shakespeares-romeo-and-juliet-you-kiss-book
http://prezi.com/jpm7-qgkaj6r/copy-of-notes-on-romeo-and-juliet/
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/shakespeare-uncovered/
__http://www.folger.edu/Content/Teach-and-Learn/Teaching-Resources/__
Romeo and Juliet Chance Happenings.doc
Romeo and Juliet Test.doc
P11GR002.pdf
http://www.yourdictionary.com/dictionary-articles/Figurative-Language.html
http://www.livebinders.com/media/get/MzA1OTIyMg==
http://www.livebinders.com/media/get/Mjk2MDQxOQ==
http://firstfolio.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/
http://www.livebinders.com/media/get/MzA1OTI5MA==
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__http://www.livebinders.com/media/get/MzA1OTIzMw=__=
http://www.livebinders.com/media/get/MzA1OTIzOQ==
http://www.shakespeareinamericanlife.org/education/schooldays/talkingoutloud/index.cfm
Free pdf downloads for the 12 play Shakespeare Out Loud series are now
available online. This proven abridged series is ideal for class
readings, scene work and school productions. www.shakespeareoutloud.ca
Rodger Barton
Hamlet, King Lear, Henry V, As You Like It, The Merchant of Venice,
Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, Julius Caesar, The Tempest, Macbeth, A
Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado About Nothing
What similarities exist between how playwrights and painters depict tragedy? View Tragedy in Art PowerPoint and completeTragedy Art Response worksheet.
http://www.livebinders.com/media/get/MzA1OTIzMA==
http://prezi.com/z57no9nreqpm/copy-of-romeo-and-juliet-two-houses/
http://prezi.com/j-68wgpc8obj/copy-of-copy-of-copy-of-notes-on-romeo-and-juliet/
http://shakespeare.mit.edu/works.html
http://www.myvocabulary.com/word-game-puzzles/shakespeare-vocabulary/
//Romeo and Juliet,// a Comedy?
How would Romeo and Juliet have been different if it were written as a comedy?Created by Amy McFatridge for 9th Grade English StudentsRomeo and Juliet Lesson Plan: Family Shields
== ==
ELA Common Core Standards Covered
L.9-10.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
L.9-10.2c Spell correctly. Knowledge of Language==Romeo and Juliet Lesson Plan Procedures==
Strategies for Analyzing Shakespeare
==ELA Common Core Standards Covered==
Teaching Strategies for Analyzing Shakespeare covers the following ELA Common Core Standards.
- RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
- RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
- RL.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
- Why does Shakespeare use soliloquies to reveal characters' thoughts?
- Why is it important that the character is alone on stage during the soliloquy?
2. A monologue is a long speech given by a character to another character. It is similar to a soliloquy, insomuch that it reveals a character's thoughts. Some of Shakespeare's more famous monologues occur as Romeo woos Juliet. Ask students these questions when reading monologues:Soliloquies, Monologues, and Asides
Shakespearean drama consists of devices that the audience expects even though they are not used in real life. Students, however, don't know this unless you tell them. Furthermore, they won't recognize them when they occur. You must introduce, therefore, dramatic devices as part of your strategies for analyzing Shakespeare.
1. A soliloquy is a long speech given by a character that is alone on stage in order to reveal his or her thoughts. Soliloquies contain some of Shakespeare's most famous lines and are excellent candidates for analysis. Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy is the most famous example. Ask students these questions when reading soliloquies:
- How would this monologue be different if it were a soliloquy?
- What effect, if any, does this monologue have on other characters?
3. An aside is a comment made by a character to the audience or another character that no one else can hear. Trebonius' aside in Julius Caesar reveals to the audience that he plans on killing the Roman ruler.- Shakespearean drama consists of speeches containing rhetorical devices that use sound and language to appeal to the audience's emotions. Shakespeare's rhetorical devices make the speeches more memorable and convincing. Students, however, don't know this unless you tell them. Furthermore, they won't understand them. You must introduce, therefore, rhetorical devices as part of your strategies for analyzing Shakespeare.
- 1. The repetition of words and sounds highlight important themes. Marc Antony's ironic repetition of "And Brutus is an honorable man" inflamed the crowd at Caesar's funeral and caused them to riot.
- When reading examples of repetition, ask what Shakespeare's purpose is in repeating the same phrase or sound.
2. Shakespeare's use of parallelism, repeated grammatical structure, emphasizes important ideas.Rhetorical Devices
- As you come across parallel structure, rewrite the line with a subordinating clause.
3. Shakespeare uses rhetorical questions, questions not intended to be answered, to create dramatic tension. Who can forget "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?"Dramatic Irony
Assignment Options
- Write an official report of the events leading up to Romeo and Juliet's death. The purpose is to help Prince Escalus and other dignitaries of Verona make sense of the double suicide.
- Put Friar Lawrence and other characters on trial.
- Write a cause and effect assessing blame to the proper individuals.
- Conduct a group activity ranking the characters in order of guilt.
==Writing Procedures==Teaching Characterization with a Fun Shakespeare Lesson Plan
Teaching characterization has never been more fun!
==Nap Time==
It was time to come up with some fun Shakespeare lesson plans for teaching characterization.==ELA Common Core Standards Covered==
This fun Shakespeare lesson plan for teaching characterization can be applied to multiple pieces of literature. The lesson satisfies the following Common Core Standards.
RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.9-10.3 Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme. ==Assignment Procedures==
.
Whatever you do, don't tell students they're doing a character analysis of Romeo and Juliet. Tell them they get to blame Romeo and Juliet characters. Teenagers love to blame.
My Character Analysis of Romeo and Juliet
I don't mind if you steal my ideas to get class discussion going.Romeo and Juliet Writing Activities: Updating a Scene
I love irony. I once stayed awake all night thinking about how ironic things were. I finally concluded that everything was ironic, which in itself was ironic because not everything is ironic.
==ELA Common Core Standards Covered==
This writing activity satisfies the following Common Core Standards.
Common Core Writing Standard 1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. W.9-10.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of L.9-10.1-3.)
Common Core Writing Standard 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
RL.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
L.9-10.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
L.9-10.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
L.9-10.5a Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text.
L.9-10.5b Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
Irony Explained
First things first: get to know these basic definitions of irony.1. Irony - The difference between what someone would reasonably expect to happen and what actually does.
2. Situational Irony - When one's efforts produces the opposite results of what was expected
- Romeo and Juliet Example: Romeo's attempt to establish peace between Mercutio and Tybalt leads to Mercutio's death and an escalation of the family war.
- Historical Example: Surrendering guards at the Bastille still managed to kill 98 citizens.
3. Verbal Irony - A contrast between what is said and what is actually meant- Romeo and Juliet Example: After Romeo kills Tybalt and is banished, Juliet tells her mother how she wishes she could go to Romeo that evening. Her mom thinks Juliet wants to find Romeo and kill him. What she really means is she wants to go to him and enjoy intimate marital relations.
- Literary Example: Prometheus says to Zeus, "You are as kind as you are wise." Zeus thinks it's a compliment. Because Prometheus doesn't think Zeus is wise, it's actually an insult.
4. Dramatic Irony - When the audience knows things the characters do not- Romeo and Juliet Example: We know Juliet has taken a sleeping potion. Everyone else, except Friar Lawrence, thinks she is dead.
- Romeo and Juliet Example: We know Juliet has married Romeo. The Capulets and Paris do not.
- Literature Example: In Horton Hears a Who, we know that Horton really is talking to little people on a bubble, but everyone else thinks he's crazy.
==Irony Lesson Plan Procedures==The following lesson plan can be used at any point in the play.
Warm up: Have students copy a chart. The chart should include four columns. Each column should contain the following titles:
- Specific Example of Irony (Act, scene, lines)
- Verbal Irony
- Situational Irony
- Dramatic Irony
Include as many rows as you think necessary. I recommend at least five.- Instruct students to copy the definitions of irony on the back of their chart. Discuss irony and provide examples. Persuade students to provide examples.
- Instruct students to find five examples of irony from the play, a particular act, scene, or lines. Have them identify the type of irony and explain how it's ironic. The explanation should be written in the appropriate column in the chart.
- After the chart is filled out, assign a literary analysis analyzing irony.
==Sample Irony Chart==|| Specific Example of Irony
1. All weep for Juliet's death.
|| Verbal Irony || Situational Irony
|| Dramatic IronyWe all know that Juliet has taken a potion to fake death. This build's suspense. ||
http://www.elacommoncorelessonplans.com/strategies-for-analyzing-shakespeare.html
|| What if Stars Wars was written in Shakespeare's Time
|| Shakespeareoutloud.ca
|| Romeo and Juliet
|| Figurative Language Ice breaker
Who says that memorizing literary definitions has to be boring? Children can use kinesthetic skills and sense of fun to understand and remember literary terms!
Posted by Susan Hyde on Feb 14, 2007
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Metaphor WorksheetsSave Time Lesson Planning. Search Peer Reviewed Metaphor WorksheetsLessonPlanet.com/Metaphor
Sometimes teaching figurative language can be too much like losing the humor behind a good joke through over explaining. When a teacher explains too much, the magic can be lost. On the other hand, when students understand the tools that turn words into art, the literary world takes on a new and fantastic dimension.
To help language arts and English students to remember literary vocabulary, have aFigurative Language Theatre day. The following lesson plans and activities will help students to remember and use various figures of speech.
Activities:
Simile and Metaphor:
This is a great activity for kinesthetic learners who learn best when they are moving.
- Place students into writing groups for the purpose of constructing a brief skit with the title Simile and Metaphor Go to the ___.
- Tell students that the first character, Simile, can only talk in similes (comparisons between two unlike things using “like” or “as”) and Metaphor can only talk in metaphors (direct comparisons between two unlike things).
- At the end of class have the student pairs perform their skits while the other students try to guess what their characters are describing.
Onomatopoeia:Onomatopoeia is a rather complicated term for a sound word that nearly any toddler can master (What does the dog say? “Woof! Woof”), so how do you get students to remember the meaning and, worse yet, the spelling of a word with eight vowels?
Ask any advertising executive. Sometimes an obnoxious or silly song is just the thing to get a product (or in this case a literary definition) into a consumer’s head.
- Have your students sing the Onomatopoeia Song to the tune of “Old MacDonald”: “O-n-o-m-a-t-o-p-o-e-i-a… with a ‘ruff-ruff’ here and a ‘baa baa’ there… here a ‘vroom,’ there a ‘buzz,’ everywhere a ‘splat! Splat!’ O-n-o-m-a-t-o-p-o-e-i-a!”
- For further fun with kinesthetic-tactile learning, hand out small posters that have indivicual letters from the word “onomatopoeia” on the front.
- Ask students to hold up their letter each time the class sings it.
- For fun, start out singing the song very slowly, and work up to a faster and faster pace.
Oxymoron:This learning activity that appeals to students with a variety of learning styles.
- Place students into small groups.
- Explain to students that an oxymoron is a figure of speech in which contradictory or opposing terms are used together (ex: “artificial intelligence” or “virtual reality”) to describe something.
- Allow students a few minutes online to find some oxymoron examples (a quick web search should render students with a multitude of websites with oxymoron lists). Visual-spatial students will especially enjoy the graphic-rich online experience.
- Ask each group to choose several of the most vivid or humorous oxymorons they can find to share with the class.As class, discuss what makes each student example an oxymoron.
- Then have students work in their groups to make up a few original oxymorons. Students should craft a definition for each oxymoron they come up with.
- Enjoy sharing with the class.
Hyperbole:Exaggeration that makes a statement can be a lot of fun, even when the activity isteacher led.
Teach your students about hyperbole by using a Johnny Carson style monologue:
Example:
Teacher: My brother is poor.
Students: How poor was he?
Teacher: He was so poor that he went to Wendy’s and put a Frosty on layaway.
Teacher: That dog was so small.
Student: How small was he?
Teacher: He was so small that his fleas had to use dog repellent to keep him off of their backs.
Humor is a great hook for vocabulary memorization, too. Students may even enjoy sharing the humor in a classroom newspaper!
|| Annotate the Prologue, Memorize, and Perform
You will memorize the balcony scene and perform
|| Romeo and Juliet Cause and Effect Lesson Plan
==A Tragedy in the Classroom==
Provide an example:....==ELA Common Core Standards Covered==
Teaching cause and effect with this lesson plan covers the following ELA Common Core Standards.
|| Romeo and Juliet Writing Activities: Updating a Scene
== ==
ELA Common Core Standards Covered
This writing activity satisfies the following Common Core Standards.W.9-10.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in W.9-10.1-3.)
W.9-10.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of L.9-10.1-3.)
RL.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
L.9-10.1b Use various types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial, prepositional, absolute) and clauses (independent, dependent; noun, relative, adverbial) to convey specific meanings and add variety and interest to writing or presentations.
L.9-10.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
L.9-10.2b Use a colon to introduce a list or quotation.
L.9-10.2c Spell correctly. Knowledge of Language
L.9-10.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
L.9-10.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9-10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word's position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
L.9-10.4b Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., analyze, analysis, analytical; advocate, advocacy).
L.9-10.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
L.9-10.5a Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text.
L.9-10.5b Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
L.9-10.6 Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.==Writing Assignment ==
Rewrite a scene from Romeo and Juliet. Update it to modern times. Change the location.
Romeo and Juliet Lesson Plans
Students will respond positively to Romeo and Juliet if they are engaged.